Top 5 most populated cities: The 2022 Most Populated Cities in the World
The 2022 Most Populated Cities in the World
The 2022 Most Populated Cities in the World
SHIBUYA TOKYO JAPAN – JULY 29 , 2018 : Pedestrians people crosswalk around Shibuya district area in Tokyo, Japan. Image © Lifestyle Travel Photo/ Shutterstock
- Written by Christele Harrouk
Half of the world’s population now lives in cities, according to UN-Habitat’s latest reports. While this number is set to increase to two-thirds by 2050, urban challenges are growing exponentially, making it more crucial than ever, to transform our cities. Annually, the world population review assesses the growth of cities and the number of residents living in metropolitan areas, to understand global evolution trends. In 2022, the list of the top 20 most populated countries remained similar to the 2021 edition, with a slight change in numbers and positions. Tokyo kept its status as the world’s largest city, with 37 million inhabitants, while Delhi and Shanghai, followed in second and third positions.
Comparing the results to the 2021 edition, the only decrease that can be seen in the top 20, involves both Japanese cities, Tokyo and Osaka. The rest of the list had, on average, a growth of 1.8% in the total of people residing in metropolitan areas. In fact, African cities Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lagos in Nigeria gathered the highest rates, with respectively a 4.39% and a 3.54% increase in residents in 1 year. The largest city in the American continent is still Sao Paulo in Brazil, followed closely by Mexico City and Buenos Aires in Argentina, further down the table. In Europe, Istanbul is the most populous, with more than 14.5 million residents.
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Discover below the top 20 most populated cities in the world in 2022, in comparison to 2021, and check the full list of results.
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The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition
1- Tokyo, Japan
Population 2022: 37,274,000
Population 2021: 37,339,804
Tokyo, Japan.
Image © ESB Professional/ Shutterstock
2- Delhi, India
Population 2022: 32,065,760
Population 2021: 31,181,376
Delhi, India – September 18, 2014: Crowd of people on the street of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, India on September 18, 2014.. Image © Elena Ermakova/ Shutterstock
3- Shanghai, China
Population 2022: 28,516,904
Population 2021: 27,795,702
Shanghai, China. Image © Planetlabs
4- Dhaka, Bangladesh
Population 2022: 22,478,116
Population 2021: 21,741,090
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Image via Shutterstock
5- Sao Paulo, Brazil
Population 2022: 22,429,800
Population 2021: 22,237,472
The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge in São Paulo, Brazil over the Pinheiros River, opened in May 2008. It connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue.. Image © Raphael Paulino Goncalves/ Shutterstock
6- Mexico City, Mexico
Population 2022: 22,085,140
Population 2021: 21,918,936
Plaza Del Ejecutivo/ Mexico City, Mexico.
Image © benjaminrgrant, source imagery: @digitalglobe
7- Cairo, Egypt
Population 2022: 21,750,020
Population 2021: 21,322,750
Cairo, Egypt. Image © By Prin Adulyatham/ Shutterstock
8- Beijing, China
Population 2022: 21,333,332
Population 2021: 20,896,820
Beijing ,China – October 22 ,2017… Image © Travelpixs/ Shutterstock
9- Mumbai, India
Population 2022: 20,961,472
Population 2021: 20,667,656
City of Mumbai. Image © akksht/ Shutterstock
10- Osaka, Japan
Population 2022: 19,059,856
Population 2021: 19,110,616
Osaka city skyline with Tenma neighborhood (in Kita district) and Miyakojima district.. Image © Tupungato/ Shutterstock
11- Chongqing, China
Population 2022: 16,874,740
Population 2021: 16,382,376
Chongqing, China. Image © By zhangyuqiu/ Shutterstock
12- Karachi, Pakistan
Population 2022: 16,839,950
Population 2021: 16,459,472
Karachi, Pakistan.
Image © By ibrar.kunri/ Shutterstock
13- Istanbul, Turkey
Population 2022: 15,636,243
Population 2021: 15,415,197
Istanbul, Turkey. Image © By kukuruxa/ Shutterstock
14- Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Population 2022: 15,628,085
Population 2021: 14,970,460
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Image © By Issa Kashala/ Shutterstock
15- Lagos, Nigeria
Population 2022: 15,387,639
Population 2021: 14,862,111
Lagos, Nigeria. Image © By Tayvay/ Shutterstock
16- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Population 2022: 15,369,919
Population 2021: 15,257,673
Aerial photo with drones. Plaza de Mayo (May square) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It’s the hub of the political life of Argentina.. Image © Studio New-Art/ Shutterstock
17- Kolkata, India
Population 2022: 15,133,888
Population 2021: 14,974,073
Kolkata, India.
The Famous Howrah Bridge over the River Ganges where People ,taking Holy bath in River Ganges .. Image © ABIR ROY BARMAN/ Shutterstock
18- Manila, Philippines
Population 2022: 14,406,059
Population 2021: 14,158,573
Manila, Philippines. Image © By KieferPix/ Shutterstock
19- Tianjin, China
Population 2022: 14,011,828
Population 2021: 13,794,450
Tianjin, China. Image © By chuyuss/ Shutterstock
20- Guangzhou, China
Population 2022: 13,964,637
Population 2021: 13,635,397
Guangzhou, China. Image via Shutterstock
Cite: Christele Harrouk. “The 2022 Most Populated Cities in the World ” 30 May 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/982465/the-2022-most-populated-cities-in-the-world> ISSN 0719-8884
World City Populations 2023
What are the most populated cities in the world? Here is a list of the top ten most populated cities in the world:
- Tokyo (Population: 37,435,191)
- Delhi (Population: 29,399,141)
- Shanghai (Population: 26,317,104)
- Sao Paulo (Population: 21,846,507)
- Mexico City (Population: 21,671,908)
- Cairo (Population: 20,484,965)
- Dhaka (Population: 20,283,552)
- Mumbai (Population: 20,185,064)
- Beijing (Population: 20,035,455)
- Osaka (Population: 19,222,665)
It is perhaps unsurprising that the majority of the most populous cities in the world are in the two most populated countries in the world, China and India.
Among these are Shanghai and Beijing, with populations of 25 and 22 million respectively, Delhi (27 million), and Mumbai (over 21.5 million).
However, Tokyo is the largest city in the world if the entire Tokyo metro area is included, with a total of more than 38 million residents. Another Japanese city, Osaka, also has a very large population of almost 20.5 million. There are also a number of non-Asian cities with high populations, including Mexico City (over 21 million), Cairo (almost 19.5 million), and Buenos Aires (almost 15.5 million).
Of the European cities, Istanbul is the most populous, with more than 14.5 million residents. This is followed by Moscow (over 12 million) and Paris (11 million including the Paris metro area). These cities are of course also culturally significant and between them welcome millions of tourists each year.
There are quite a number of popular and culturally rich cities that have smaller populations, often making for higher living standards for their residents.
Barcelona, Sydney, Berlin and Vancouver all have fewer than five million residents, but are very popular choices for city living. There are also some comparatively very small cities with big cultural, historical or political reputations, such as Sarajevo (314,000), Edinburgh (502,000), and Venice (631,000), demonstrating that small cities can be highly significant regardless of the size of their population.
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The largest cities in the world – Top 10
Which city covers the same area as Austria? Where do as many people live as in Taiwan? Where is Moscow in the world ranking?
Megacities are growing at a rapid pace, absorbing not only agricultural land, but also small towns.
As a result, urban agglomerations with a single center and satellite cities are formed, which are closely connected with each other by production, culture and transport. Here is a ranking of the largest cities in the world in terms of area and population. nine0003
Top 10 largest cities by area
What is the largest city in the world?
The largest agglomeration of the globe is New York. Just imagine: together with the suburbs, it occupies 12,093 km 2 , which is about twice the size of Moscow. This makes New York the largest city in the world by area.
Greater Boston, USA
In second place in the list of 10 largest cities in terms of area is another American agglomeration, which occupies 9538 km 2 , which is approximately equal to the area of Cyprus. This is one of the oldest territories in the country, mastered by European settlers, and its center is Boston.
Tokyo – Yokohama, Japan
The agglomeration is spread over an area of 8230 km 2 , that is, two countries would fit on its territory: Brunei and Mauritius.
Atlanta, USA
The area is 7400 km 2 , and Luxembourg would fit three times here. The center of the agglomeration is the city of the same name. It is also the largest city in the state of Georgia. nine0003
Chicago, USA
This is the second largest financial center in the US after New York. Together with the suburbs, it is spread over the territory of 7006 km 2 .
Los Angeles, USA: 6351 km2 including suburbs.
Moscow, Russia: 5891 km2 including suburbs.
Washington metropolitan area, USA: 5500 km2.
Philadelphia, USA: 5430 km2 including suburbs.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, USA: 5279km2.
The largest cities in the world by area: top 10
Chongqing, China
Hangzhou, China
Beijing, China
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Al Ain, UAE
The rating does not take into account the continuity and density of development, and the area includes the entire territory, including natural objects that are within the boundaries of the settlement.
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Chongqing, China
It is the largest city in the world by area. Its area is 82,403 km 2 , which is slightly smaller than Austria. However, the city itself occupies 1473 km 2 (1.79%), the rest is in suburban and rural areas. 373 people live on 1 km 2 , which can be roughly compared with the Moscow region.
Hangzhou, China
The provincial capital of Zhejiang is spread over an area of 16,853.6 km 2 , slightly smaller than Kuwait. It is an important cultural center of China, famous for its tea, pagodas and scenic surroundings. nine0003
Beijing, China
The territory occupied by the capital of the Celestial Empire would fit Montenegro and Mauritius – 16,411 km 2 . The urban area occupies a smaller but ever-increasing part of Beijing.
Brisbane, Australia
City area – 15,826 km 2 . For a long time it served as a center for keeping English prisoners sentenced to exile.
And now it ranks first in population growth in Australia. More than 2 million people live in it. nine0003
Al Ain, UAE
It is the fourth most populated city in the United Arab Emirates and the fifth largest in the world. Its area is 15,100 km 2 , and more than 760,000 people live in it.
Chengdu, China: 14,378 km2.
Sydney, Australia: 12,368 km2.
Tianjin, China: 11,760 km2.
Melbourne, Australia: 9992 km2.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: 9965 km2.
Largest cities by population: top 20
Shanghai, China
Beijing, China
Istanbul, Turkey
Lagos, Nigeria
Tokyo, Japan
What is the largest city in this category? Depends on what to take into account – number or density.
Remarkably, the largest cities in the world, by area, have quite tolerable population densities, and compared with the density of many Asian cities, rush hour in the Moscow metro can seem like paradise. nine0003
Top 10 most populated cities: by population
Shanghai, China
24.9 million people live in China’s largest financial center and one of the world’s leading ones. This is slightly more than in Taiwan. Of these, about 10 million are from other cities in China, and it is the largest city in the world in terms of population.
Beijing, China
More than 21.9 million people live permanently in the city, like in Sri Lanka. At the same time, the number of people over the age of 60 is about 4.3 million people, and this figure continues to increase. The city is getting old. nine0003
Istanbul, Turkey
The total population of the province of Istanbul – 15.5 million people, which is equal to the number of inhabitants of Somalia.
Every fifth inhabitant of Turkey lives in this settlement.
Lagos, Nigeria
It is the largest city in the country and the second most populous in Africa. It has a population of 15.3 million, more than four times the size of Berlin – Germany’s largest city.
Tokyo, Japan
The population of the Japanese capital is 13.9 million people, which is slightly less than the population of the whole of Cambodia. At the same time, the Tokyo-Yokohama agglomeration not only ranks third in terms of area, but is also the largest in the world in terms of population. It has 39.1 million inhabitants, which is about the same as in Afghanistan.
Tianjin, China: 13.8 million people.
Guangzhou, China: 13.6 million people.
Mumbai, India: 12.7 million people.
Moscow, Russia: 12.7 million people.
Sao Paulo, Brazil: 12.4 million people.
Top 10 largest cities by population density
Manila, Philippines
Capital of the country – the most populous city in the world.
41,515 people live on 1 km 2 , which is about eight times more than in Moscow.
Pateros, Philippines
Included in the Capital Region with the center of Manila and is the smallest in its composition in terms of area and population. But it ranks second in the world in terms of density. 63,643 people live on 1.8 km 2 . The density is about 36,000 people per 1 km², which is seven times higher than in Moscow.
Mandaluyong, Philippines
The area of one of the smallest cities in the country – 21.3 km 2 , but 34 9 live on 1 km 2 25 people. The population continues to grow.
Caloocan, Philippines
This city is also part of the Capital Region, and the population density in it is – 29,774 people per 1 km 2 .
Bnei Brak, Israel
The city closes the top five, where 29,345 people live at 1 km 2 . Its area – is only 7 km 2 .
Dhaka, Bangladesh: 29,069 people per km2. nine0018
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: 27,395 people per km2.
Makati, Philippines: 26,811 people/km2
Levallois-Perret, France: 26,713 people/km2.
Vincennes, France: 26,121 people per km2.
The largest cities in Russia
The first place among the largest cities in Russia is occupied by Moscow. Its area without suburbs is 2561 km 2 . If earlier it was followed by St. Petersburg with an area of 1439km 2 , everything has changed since January 2022. The city on the Neva gave way to Saratov, which was joined by 54 settlements of the Saratov region, thanks to which its area increased to 2100 km 2 . Official ratings have not yet taken this into account, and in the list of the largest cities in terms of area, St. Petersburg is still 56th.
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The 20 largest cities in the world by population
Millions of people running across the crossings, a high standard of living, many kilometers of traffic jams, the most modern technologies, poor ecology, the prospect of further growth of cities and their transformation into giant agglomerations with wide employment opportunities – our modernity.
Large cities usually have multiple borders, so their population may vary depending on the counting method. This means that their ranking will vary depending on which border is used. nine0003
Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area in the world. Greater Tokyo has 38.1 million people – almost the same number of people live in Canada (37.6 million). It is one of the 47 prefectures in Japan, consisting of 23 central urban areas and many cities, towns and villages west of the city center + the islands of Izu and Ogasawara are also considered part of Tokyo. According to UN forecasts, by 2030 the capital of Japan will move to second place in the ranking.
Population – 28.5 million people, and according to forecasts for 10 years the population will grow by another 10 million. Delhi is an important trade, transport, cultural, political center of India. According to legend, the city was named after Raja Dilu, a king who ruled the region in the 1st century BC.
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Population – 25.5 million people According to preliminary estimates, the population of Shanghai by 2030 will be 32.8 million people, which will allow it to remain in third place on the list. The territory of the municipality includes the city, suburbs and agricultural areas. Shanghai is the most populous city in China, and the municipality is its most populous part.
Sao Paulo, Brazil
The city has a population of 21.6 million. Projected population by 2030 – 23.8 million people, the city will drop by 9ranks 1st in the list of the most densely populated cities in the world. Sao Paulo is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.
Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City)
Population – 21.5 million, in 2030 Mexico City will still be in the top ten in terms of population, but only in 8th place. With a population of 24.1 million, it will become the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
Mexico City’s leading position compared to other urban centers in the developing world can be attributed to its rich and diverse environment, long history, densely populated territory, and the central role that its rulers have assigned to it over the centuries. Centralism may have influenced the character of Mexico City the most, as the city has been a center of politics, religion, and commerce since the end of the Postclassic period (12th-16th centuries). nine0003
Al-Quahira (Cairo), Egypt
Population – 20 million people. Cairo, the largest Egyptian city for a thousand years, will become the fifth in the world by 2030. It is a fan-shaped city: narrow in the south, where the river valley is wedged between the slopes of the desert, and wide in the north, where the valley merges with the Nile Delta. Over the centuries, the city expanded to the west, but in response to increased demand, it began to expand to the north, south and west.
Mumbai (Bombay), India
The population is 19.
9 million, by 2030 the population is expected to be 24.5 million. Located on the coast of Maharashtra, Mumbai is the most densely populated city in India, one of the largest urban areas in the world. It was built on the site of an ancient settlement and was named after the goddess Mumba, the incarnation of Parvati, the wife of Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism.
Beijing, China
Population 19.6 million. The UN predicts that Beijing will come in 7th place on the list with 24.2 million people by 2030. However, the country’s population may begin to decline based on estimates of fertility and aging. nine0003
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the world’s top 10 countries in terms of population (19.5 million) and Dhaka, its capital, could rise to number four by 2030 with a projected population growth of nearly 9 million people (will reach 28 million people).
Kinki MMA (Osaka), Japan
19 million people live here.
The city is projected to fall out of the list of the world’s largest metropolitan areas as the country experiences negative population growth. nine0003
New York, New York – Newark, New Jersey, USA
Population 18.8 million New York will continue to grow slowly, but will fall to 13th place in the rankings.
Karachi, Pakistan
Pakistan (15.4 million) is one of the ten most populous countries in the world, and the population of Karachi is expected to grow by almost five million by 2030.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Demographers predict that Buenos Aires (14.9million people) will continue to grow slowly, reaching 16,456,000 people in 2030, but will drop to 20th place.
Chongqing, China
There are six cities in the list of China’s largest cities, and UN experts expect that by 2030 Chongqing (14.8 million people) will grow to 19.6 people.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul (14.
7 million people): although the birth rate is not so high, according to experts, the number of city dwellers will grow to 17.1 million people. after 10 years.
Kolkata, India
India is one of the two countries with the largest population and is expected to replace China as No. 1 by 2025. The forecast for the population of Calcutta (today is 14.6 million people) is 17.5 million people.
Manila, Philippines
The Philippines (13.4 million) is only 13th on the list, but the capital will remain one of the most populous cities with a projected population of 16.8 million in 10 years.
Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. It is expected to surpass the United States in terms of population by 2050, and Lagos will move to 11th place on the list and grow from 13.4 million people. up to 20.6.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The second of two Brazilian entries on the list, Rio is likely to leave the top 20 most populous in the world by 2030.